Camp Mystic set to reopen in 2026 as memorial and safety upgrades proceed after Texas floods
Reopening tied to the camp’s 100th anniversary; the original site will stay closed while a sister campus resumes operations and a memorial is built for those lost in the 2025 flood.
Camp Mystic, the private Christian girls’ summer camp along the Guadalupe River in Kerr County, Texas, said Monday it will reopen in 2026 to mark its 100th anniversary, about a year after the fatal flash floods swept through the site. Twenty-seven people—campers and counselors—died when fast-moving water surged through a low-lying section of the campus early on July 4, 2025.
The camp’s operators said the original campus will remain closed and will not reopen next year. A sister site, Cypress Lake, opened in 2020 and was not destroyed by the flood, officials said. In the announcement, leaders said the reopening plan includes designing and building a memorial dedicated to the lives of those lost and implementing safety upgrades in line with newly enacted Texas laws, with engineers and other experts advising as plans are finalized. In a letter to families, the owners wrote, “As we work to finalize plans, we will do so in a way that is mindful of those we have lost.”
Reaction to the plan has been mixed. Some families of the deceased oppose reopening, while alumni and the Eastland family, who own the property, have expressed support. Cici Steward, whose 8-year-old daughter remains missing, told The New York Times, “The truth is, Camp Mystic failed our daughters. For my family, these months have felt like an eternity.” She said the camp’s decision to reopen comes with little consultation and that a planned memorial may feel like business as usual to grieving families. Other parents said they had received little communication in the months after the flood before being notified of the reopening plan.
Rescue crews canvassed the flood-stricken area as authorities assessed the disaster’s scope. The Guadalupe River rose from about 14 feet to 29.5 feet within an hour, inundating portions of the camp and surrounding areas. The broader region suffered extensive flood damage and at least 136 people died in the months-long flooding, prompting scrutiny of local preparedness. Camp leadership had been tracking weather in the days leading up to the disaster, but it remained unclear whether a National Weather Service warning translated into a city- or county-wide emergency alert that reached people on their phones.
The camp said its leadership will proceed with caution, balancing the need to honor those lost with safety improvements required under state law and guidance from engineers and safety experts. The original campus’ devastation is described by officials as “devastating damage,” and authorities say the site will not reopen next year; instead, the organization plans to focus resources on Cypress Lake as the main operating site while pursuing a lasting memorial for the families affected. The broader community continues to wrestle with questions about preparedness, evacuation and the role of climate-driven extreme weather in such tragedies. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
The plan to reopen in 2026 marks a return to operations after the disaster, while amplifying the debate over how communities and private institutions should adapt to intensifying flood risk and stricter safety standards enacted in Texas. Camp Mystic’s leadership said they remain committed to honoring the lives lost and to implementing the safety changes required by law, even as families and supporters weigh the implications of returning to a site that bears painful memories for many.
